Japan: A Stunning Country

Posted on 02/23/2024 Last updated on 02/21/2024

Located in east Asia, the island country of Japan is one of the finest in the world. Popularly known as the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, Japan has a lot to offer. I moved here last March and till date I’m in awe with the way this country and its people are. I’d like to let readers know a little about why life in Japan is great and what factors contribute to making it great.

As a kid, my mom always kept telling me how polite, considerate and hard working the Japanese are. She wanted to see those characteristics in me. The Japanese are undoubtedly a fine race of people from whom the world has a lot to learn. One can observe and experience Japanese hospitality and kindness right from the minute they step foot in any part of Japan. The way people are respected, treated and served in Japan is in itself a huge part of Japanese culture. People here are very mindful of others. They’d never talk loudly inside a train, bus or shopping complex. They are very helpful. They always come forward to help people in any possible way they can. If you ask them for a location, they’d go to the extent to drop you off at your desired location and ensure you’re OK. Japanese people are always ready to go that extra mile for the good of others.

Japan is probably the cleanest country on earth. The Japanese care about their surroundings and keep them extremely tidy at all times, however crowded the place may be. I hardly find litter in parks, train stations or on the roadside. The Japanese are almost obsessed with cleanliness. Its spiritual to them. Restrooms are kept very clean at all times of the day in any public space. Children are asked in schools to clean their tables before and after a meal. Also, at the end of the day, children need to clean their classrooms before they leave.

The kind of services and products this country has to offer is out of the world. Everything they offer is of the highest quality. Customers are given the best possible experience anywhere they go, be it a small cafe, a clothing showroom, a hospital or a tourist spot. The entire process of having a meal in a restaurant or shopping at a mall is very joyful, solely because of Japanese hospitality. If there is, by chance, an error in a product or service, the Japanese ensure that you are compensated well enough for the same. One would never go home with a bitter experience.

Japan always aims at offering its citizens and residents with systems and services that can help make life stress-free. Almost every street has got one or two 24*7 convenient stores that have basic things for daily use. They also have freshly packed food. There are plenty of Japanese restaurants, mostly family run, around too. I don’t spend a lot of time cooking in Tokyo because clean, fresh and healthy food is easily available at a very reasonable price. With a growing population of old aged people, senior citizen care has been designed very thoughtfully in this country. There are many care centers that are fully equipped and able to provide comprehensive daily care for the aged. This includes meals, cleaning, laundry, regular health checks and exercises or activities that aim at keeping them active and engaged. A whole lot of benefits are in place for expectant mothers too. Hospitals and clinics are very well kept and quality health care is provided round the clock.

Japan’s public transport network continues to amaze me each time I enter a railway station or get on a train or bus. With a very well connected and dense network of trains and buses connecting every bit of the country, Japan is ranked third in the world for it’s transport system. It is very reliable. They are very efficiently run and are almost never late. Till date, there have been very few instances wherein a train has not been on time. A couple of years back, I remember reading on the BBC that the Japan Railways company had stated “sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused” after one of it’s trains departed 20 seconds early!

I can hardly imagine receiving an apology for a mistake of this kind anywhere else in the world. I am not surprised at all. This is how good the Japanese are. This in itself talks volumes about Japanese mannerism and how they value time and people in general. If you happen to visit Japan, never miss riding on the super fast Shinkansen bullet trains. One journey on the Shinkansen , or any local train for that matter, is enough for people to understand how good the transportation system in Japan is. For this part of the article about transportation, I really think I am at loss of words to describe it.

Another thing that I love about this country is its children. Japanese children are very well mannered. They rare raised to be responsible, caring and hard working. Public schools in Japan offer excellent education. The education system focuses on building a well rounded citizen with skills in every discipline of life you can think of, from science to music to carpentry. Lunch is provided in all government schools. The menu is designed by a nutritionist. There was a BBC article earlier this year that said Japan is among the top five countries in the world to raise children in.

This island is so full of tranquil and serene places. Shrines, Japanese gardens or a view from a train window that takes you to the suburbs of Tokyo – everything looks like a painted picture and instills calmness in you. This country is overwhelmingly populated with good hearted people. I am learning from them everyday. I’d like other countries and their people too to learn from Japan and build communities that care for people and respect them. The world should look upon Japan and draw inspiration.

Top Photo: w.aoki on PhotoAC